Actually every time somebody says "Wii HD" I automatically assume it to mean the Wii's successor, not just literally a Wii with HD output. Obviously that is not gonna happen. I take these rumors to mean that perhaps a real successor console might be in the works.
Actually every time somebody says "Wii HD" I automatically assume it to mean the Wii's successor, not just literally a Wii with HD output. Obviously that is not gonna happen. I take these rumors to mean that perhaps a real successor console might be in the works.
I take those rumors to mean tech nerds with no common sense still have the ability to log into message boards.
It's a safe bet that Nintendo's full-fledged next console will have HD
Sounds like you're with me. There won't be a Wii HD, but there will probably be an HD Wii successor. The only question is, when is it happening.
I... think you missed the semantics. Every single rumor that involves the words "Wii HD" specifically refers to a current-gen Wii with HD capabilities, not a next-gen console. We actually haven't heard much of anything that actually refers to a next-gen console.
It's a safe bet that Nintendo's full-fledged next console will have HD
Sounds like you're with me. There won't be a Wii HD, but there will probably be an HD Wii successor. The only question is, when is it happening.
I... think you missed the semantics. Every single rumor that involves the words "Wii HD" specifically refers to a current-gen Wii with HD capabilities, not a next-gen console. We actually haven't heard much of anything that actually refers to a next-gen console.
I see no reason to assume that.
In fact you must have misread. You say it specifically refers to a current-gen Wii, but the OP says "next generation Wii HD unit." Next generation = higher powered console = successor.
It's a safe bet that Nintendo's full-fledged next console will have HD
Sounds like you're with me. There won't be a Wii HD, but there will probably be an HD Wii successor. The only question is, when is it happening.
I... think you missed the semantics. Every single rumor that involves the words "Wii HD" specifically refers to a current-gen Wii with HD capabilities, not a next-gen console. We actually haven't heard much of anything that actually refers to a next-gen console.
I see no reason to assume that.
In fact you must have misread. You say it specifically refers to a current-gen Wii, but the OP says "next generation Wii HD unit." Next generation = higher powered console = successor.
But the fact remains that pretty much every other Wii HD rumor specifically involves a current-gen unit. Just because one random guy on the internet didn't spell it out doesn't mean that we shouldn't assume that's what he meant, mainly because 99.7% of other Wii HD mentions spell out a current-gen unit.
But the fact remains that pretty much every other Wii HD rumor specifically involves a current-gen unit. Just because one random guy on the internet didn't spell it out doesn't mean that we shouldn't assume that's what he meant, mainly because 99.7% of other Wii HD mentions spell out a current-gen unit.
New Wii Due By 2011
By John Davison, September 30, 2008
What They Play has heard from multiple sources in the game development and publishing community that Nintendo is currently showing early presentations of its next home console hardware. Apparently set to hit the market “by 2011” the new device is said to be the true “next generation” Nintendo console, and far more than a simple refresh of the current hardware. Unlike previous console transitions from Nintendo, the new system will be presented as a true successor to the Wii, and is being dubbed by those that have seen the presentation as “Wii HD.” There is no indication if this will be its eventual name, but the nature of the transition has been characterized as similar to “the shift from Game Boy to Game Boy Advance,” where familiar, key elements were left intact while the core hardware was made more powerful. It is expected by all those that we have spoken to on the subject that the new device will retain the Wii name in part.
E3 2009: Wii Successor HD, But Not Yet
Posted by Tom "Tphi" Phillips - Jun 5th 2009 14:01
Speaking to VentureBeat, Nintendo company president Satoru Iwata responded to a question regarding the Wii getting full HD support, as Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 both do as well. He responded that at the current time Nintendo had "not found a specific reason to make it HD-compatible at this time."
He questioned what the "specific meaning" was to the users, and said that it shouldn't be implemented until this was determined. Yet, if Nintendo "have an opportunity to make a new console, it will probably support HD because it is now common throughout the world."
So it looks now for certain that the Wii will be standard definition for the rest of its life, but that the Wii 2 (or whatever name Nintendo dreams up) will embrace high-definition for certain.
20Oct 09
More news on the Wii's unannounced successor
The past year has seen much rumors and speculation regarding the Wii's eventual successor, with many believing that a "Wii HD" is on its way. The speculation of the new console coming sometime between 2010 and 2011, however, was almost proved false when president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, saying that a new console is still a ways off back in August. And while that still stands currently, it doesn't necessarily mean that a new console isn't in the works.
Notice how the terms are used in the same breath.
I searched for Wii successor and Wii HD and got the same results for each. Even the most ridiculous rumors refer to an actual successor and not just an HD version of what we have now:
- The Wii2 system will feature a Blu-Ray drive with a secondary aim of stopping piracy.
- 1080P and lower resolutions will be supported, for blu-ray movies and games.
- The release date is scheduled for third quarter of 2010.
- The release will be worldwide and on the same day for all countries.
- A scheme will be available in which it is possible to trade in the original Wii for a cheaper price on the new Wii 2.
I don't know why you're fixated on the non-existence of a hi def Wii. It seems the rest of the internet knows that's not happening either, which is why all the talk is about a successor.
Because everyone else is fixated on the existence of a hi def Wii. That rumor just refuses to die. Besides, none of the things you quoted specifically exclude the possibility of them simply being upscaled Wiis. Hell, the Nintendo quote didn't even include "Wii HD," because they damn well know there's not going to be a Wii HD, it'll be a Wii 2 or somesuch. If people meant Wii 2, they'd say Wii 2, not Wii HD.
I guess we're just going in circles. Up there is a quote specifically talking about a next gen successor being referred to as Wii HD. Whatever you might like to think, that is the buzzword for Nintendo's next console. I haven't read anything suggesting an HD version of what we have now since maybe 2007. I'd be glad to look at anything you can dig up, though.
Netflix on the wii would be cool, especially if I don't need a separate subscription (Live) to use it.
Wii HD ain't happening though, assuming HD means 'High Def'. If they're adding something else, like a hard drive, or something, that's a maybe, and even then I give it a 50/50 chance at MOST.
Seriously, all the people griping about endless revisions - they're not ever actual system spec upgrades. They're all either size reduction, screen increases, or other kind of tangential differences.
Even with Nintendo being secretive, don't we always hear about their home console releases at least a year ahead of time? And, if I recall correctly, for both the GameCube and the Wii, all of the analyst talk and internet speculation was way off base compared to what Nintendo actually revealed (and released).
The only real story here is Netflix, which is based on a rumor -- dude's not even posting screens. I get the feeling it's more a "PS3 Netflix was announced, might as well make a guess for the Wii so, if it does happen, I can be first!"
It's a safe bet that Nintendo's full-fledged next console will have HD
Sounds like you're with me. There won't be a Wii HD, but there will probably be an HD Wii successor. The only question is, when is it happening.
i wouldn't count on that. when nintendo recently released sales numbers of all their stuff one thing struck me right away:
they have sold more DS units, then actual DS games (!!)
if you think about it, it can only mean that various hardware iterations = loads of cash. and considering that a simple Wii hardware update is entirely possible imo.
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i wouldn't count on that. when nintendo recently released sales numbers of all their stuff one thing struck me right away:
they have sold more DS units, then actual DS games (!!)
if you think about it, it can only mean that various hardware iterations = loads of cash. and considering that a simple Wii hardware update is entirely possible imo.
How can you possibly believe that?
In FY3/09 alone, they sold 31.18 million Nintendo DS consoles, and a total of 197.31 million copies of Nintendo DS units of software have been sold. Worldwide. That's about 6.32 Nintendo DS games per unit sold in the same time frame.
i wouldn't count on that. when nintendo recently released sales numbers of all their stuff one thing struck me right away:
they have sold more DS units, then actual DS games (!!)
if you think about it, it can only mean that various hardware iterations = loads of cash. and considering that a simple Wii hardware update is entirely possible imo.
Are you retarded?
In FY3/09, they sold 31.18 million Nintendo DS consoles, and a total of 197.31 million copies of Nintendo DS units of software have been sold.
Sorry Carmofin, I don't mean to insult you. I edited my response to be a little less harsh.
The last FY3/09 results show that about 6.3 nintendo DS games are sold per Nintendo DS unit during that time frame. Which is pretty darn good for a handheld.
If anything, it isn't a new console, but just an upgraded version of the Wii. How many iterations has Nintendo had of the DS? I wouldn't be surprised to see 2-3 iterations of the Wii before the next generation the way Nintendo is going.
I'm with this guy. Milk the cow til it's dry. It's what I'D want to hear as an investor.
If it's not a download or a peripheral, it might as well be considered a new console. With all the Wii backlash in full force, I can't imagine that a new version of the console is going to have a lot of takers at this juncture.
I meant to quote this. What backlash? I mean certainly the average gamer has bitched about the Wii non stop since inception so that can't be it
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Correct me if I'm wrong but if Nintendo makes a console in 2010 or 2011 that is equal in performance to a 360 then they will have a console that is using five year old technology, just like with the Wii, but this time will place them on even ground with the other two. As supposedly the 360 and PS3 are going to have longer lifespans than previous consoles. That'd be quite convienient for Nintendo.
Correct me if I'm wrong but if Nintendo makes a console in 2010 or 2011 that is equal in performance to a 360 then they will have a console that is using five year old technology, just like with the Wii, but this time will place them on even ground with the other two. As supposedly the 360 and PS3 are going to have longer lifespans than previous consoles. That'd be quite convienient for Nintendo.
I'd say that's likely.
If that happens they need to get a QC department because that shovelware that's eating up space for good games is getting annoying.
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Well yeah, that's the reason why the PS3 and 360 are talking about a longer generation -- new consoles just depress sales as people wait for new games to come out. R&D costs money, rolling out a new system costs money, and I wouldn't be surprised if both companies have done research and found that people are, in general, satisfied with the graphics and controls available now. It is one advantage to being an HD console -- sure, the majority of people may not have HD televisions, but that means that the console is not the chokepoint -- the television is.
Unless the "wii 2" is fully backwards compatible yet offers a compelling upgrade, it probably wouldn't sell as well. Nintendo's systems have always been game focused -- unless they have a "killer app" like Wii Sports for the Wii 2, people are still going to buy the original Wii because it'll be cheaper and have the game they want.
I love HD for the simple reason that the cables are easier. One HDMI cable from the PS3 to the receiver, and 1 from the receiver to the TV, is sex. It's enough to make me NOT want to plug anything else in so I don't have to deal with the hassle of component cables, digital audio cables, and other shit.
I know it's taboo to talk about, but there are already ways to see Wii games in HD. Never done it myself, but the screens from this NeoGAF thread are amazing. Plus, if some script kiddies can do it, I'm sure there's a way for Nintendo to do it in a new Wii revision.
Correct me if I'm wrong but if Nintendo makes a console in 2010 or 2011 that is equal in performance to a 360 then they will have a console that is using five year old technology, just like with the Wii, but this time will place them on even ground with the other two. As supposedly the 360 and PS3 are going to have longer lifespans than previous consoles. That'd be quite convienient for Nintendo.
No it wouldn't. Nintendo makes a large profit on each Wii sold. MS and Sony do not make much money (if any) on each of their respective systems sold (It's why MS loves accessories and subscriptions). Nintendo is currently outselling the competition by a large enough margin that you must combine 360 and PS3 sales to match it. It would be idiotic to spend R&D to create a product that will destroy your profit margins and who's main appeal would be to those who already have chosen a comparable system in power while having none of the games. It would also go against much of their developer support as they can use the current Wii as a lower budget alternative to the company destroying budgets that the HD systems so often require. If they wanted to create a more powerful system it would have to be powerful enough to draw away 360/PS3 customers as "now with motion control!" isn't much of a tagline now that MS and Sony are both working on their respective motion controllers. In the end they would be segmenting their user base, irritating developers and destroying the profit margins. That's not very convenient.
DC:
Outputting at a higher resolution is easy. You just need a more powerful GPU. MS and Sony could release a respective PS3/360 that guarantees 1080p and more AA as opposed the the 720p or less nearly all games go with now. It just wouldn't make much sense financially to do so.
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Actually as of late the Wii's sales have slipped enough, combined with the PS3's increases due to price drop, that combining the PS3+360 sales rates are a bit over the Wii's combined sales now.
Even so, Nintendo still makes some good money on each one. And they're the market leader. They have no great reason to launch a Wii HD any time soon, let alone 2010. Why would they? So they can chase the ever so lucrative HD market, by spending a lot on R&D, spending on new manufacturing, new marketing, so they can release a system with less profit margins, split their user base, increase the prices, and for what? To go for a slice of a market that is not only already heavily competitive with the 360 and PS3, but also one that they can't really expand upon much more?
I dunno. Nintendo didn't acquire ~49% of the market share by trying to follow the trends of its competitors.
The Wii's GPU is already powerful enough to do HD.
However, the way Nintendo engineered the console, you have a 3MB framebuffer to work with. Not enough space to do 720p -and- double buffer it.
For comparison, the 360 has 10MB to work with on it's chip. This is why Halo 3 has to be 640p to do HDR, because you need the high end buffer and the low end buffer then you combine them into a final one. So you have 3 HD 'screens' to work with, that's not going to fit into 10MB. 640p isn't due to Halo 3's engine, it's due to the higher ups at MS going "HD FOR EVERYTHING" and then shorting the console.
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AtomikaLive fast and get fucked or whateverRegistered Userregular
- The Wii2 system will feature a Blu-Ray drive with a secondary aim of stopping piracy.
- 1080P and lower resolutions will be supported, for blu-ray movies and games.
- The release date is scheduled for third quarter of 2010.
- The release will be worldwide and on the same day for all countries.
- A scheme will be available in which it is possible to trade in the original Wii for a cheaper price on the new Wii 2.
I think I'm going to call shenanigans on just about all of that, given that Nintendo effectively hates anything approaching console versatility and that the street date is nine months from now.
Not saying Nintendo couldn't do it, or even shouldn't (they probably should, actually), but I think if a shift that big were coming to the market we would have heard something before now.
The NES could have been 16 bit, but Yamauchi said no, because 8 bit would keep the system relatively cheap, and they would still make a profit.
It's not the same Nintendo since Yamauchi stepped down, which is not a bad thing IMO, but that is a lesson that the new guard has kept to with the wii.
Once parts and production are cheap enough for Nintendo to make a ZOMG awesome graphics system, and make a tidy profit from launch, they'll have an extra incentive, but as has been reiterated several times, Wii sales decline due to demand being met at a greater ratio is not enough by itself yet.
Raybies666 on
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AtomikaLive fast and get fucked or whateverRegistered Userregular
The NES could have been 16 bit, but Yamauchi said no, because 8 bit would keep the system relatively cheap, and they would still make a profit.
It's not the same Nintendo since Yamauchi stepped down, which is not a bad thing IMO, but that is a lesson that the new guard has kept to with the wii.
Which honestly isn't a bad strategy to maintain for Nintendo, since price is probably one of the primary (if not the THE primary) reason the Wii sold so well. With the anemic title selection and seeming unwillingness to develop games to keep pace with quality and demand we've seen so far with the Wii, I don't know if offering a substantially more expensive model is ever going to be a viable financial option for them.
The NES could have been 16 bit, but Yamauchi said no, because 8 bit would keep the system relatively cheap, and they would still make a profit.
It's not the same Nintendo since Yamauchi stepped down, which is not a bad thing IMO, but that is a lesson that the new guard has kept to with the wii.
Which honestly isn't a bad strategy to maintain for Nintendo, since price is probably one of the primary (if not the THE primary) reason the Wii sold so well. With the anemic title selection and seeming unwillingness to develop games to keep pace with quality and demand we've seen so far with the Wii, I don't know if offering a substantially more expensive model is ever going to be a viable financial option for them.
I got a SNES for christmas from my parents the year it launched in Ireland, I was about 12. I got every console they released after out of my own cash.
The great thing about their console pricing philosophy it that when the N64 launched, I was old enough to have a summer job and put together cash for one. I liked the Playstation and Saturn, but I loved Nintendo and could afford it. The Gamecube was bought with my first post college paycheck. I had no cash for the crhistmas launch of the Wii, a mate gave me the money and I could pay it pack at the end of the month.
It's something that I feel is not brought up at all, the fact that whatever parents have to do with it, Nintendo consoles are the easiest to buy with pocket money saving or scrimping with summer jobs and the like. It really contributes to why Nintendo gets so much love, their consoles are always of a high quality regardless of the specs (see gameboy vs game gear and lynx), you pick up the current Mario platformer. Joy ensues, bolstered by the fact that you bought it yourself.
What you say about the lineup is true, but the N64 and GC had similar issues and I ended up with 16-20 games for each by the end of the systems life. I've been playing videogames for 26 years now, and this seems to me like a lot of games, especially considering how few clunkers I ended up getting.
I suppose I never could see why this was brought up with these consoles, as I was stuck living in the countryside for 15 years with no friends and no women, and I had more than enough entertainment to see me through those dark ages. At this stage, I'm not even responding to you, I've lost in memories of gaming bliss.
Raybies666 on
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The one thing that reeks of "this is fake" from that list of Wii HD "features" is the line linking the Blu-ray drive to "stopping piracy" when the drive itself has basically nothing to do with it. The next most fake is the trade-in-for-cheaper idea, as Nintendo wouldn't take such a huge loss on a console when they strive to make the console profitable.
Yeah, one of the greatest strengths Nintendo has (from a business standpoint) is that they're ludicrously efficient in building their machines. I don't think they've ever had to sell them at a loss.
And I'd also expect this generation to last longer... since it's taking more and more horsepower to make smaller and smaller improvements in the visuals, it really doesn't make sense to make people buy a new system without improvements that 95% of the buying public will notice.
Yeah, one of the greatest strengths Nintendo has (from a business standpoint) is that they're ludicrously efficient in building their machines. I don't think they've ever had to sell them at a loss.
And I'd also expect this generation to last longer... since it's taking more and more horsepower to make smaller and smaller improvements in the visuals, it really doesn't make sense to make people buy a new system without improvements that 95% of the buying public will notice.
I agree with your second statement. This generation is going to last a long, long time, I would expect this to probably be the second to last major console generation, with multiple skus and incremental upgrades along the way that are fully backwards compatible but might be exclusive, in the way that the DSi has games specifically made for it.
As time goes on Xbox + Natal and PS3 with the motion wandy deal will have exclusive games, but I don't think it's a stretch that in a few years, you might need a 360+ or something to play something realllly high end. It'll still be a 360, but come in at the elite price point and a step up in hardware, but nothing so drastic that it'll be called a new generation.
I think the final console generation will come about when all those 3d tvs start coming out. They'll release a new console to support that technology, and follow a similar incremental upgrade technique.
Correct me if I'm wrong but if Nintendo makes a console in 2010 or 2011 that is equal in performance to a 360 then they will have a console that is using five year old technology, just like with the Wii, but this time will place them on even ground with the other two. As supposedly the 360 and PS3 are going to have longer lifespans than previous consoles. That'd be quite convienient for Nintendo.
No it wouldn't. Nintendo makes a large profit on each Wii sold. MS and Sony do not make much money (if any) on each of their respective systems sold (It's why MS loves accessories and subscriptions). Nintendo is currently outselling the competition by a large enough margin that you must combine 360 and PS3 sales to match it. It would be idiotic to spend R&D to create a product that will destroy your profit margins and who's main appeal would be to those who already have chosen a comparable system in power while having none of the games. It would also go against much of their developer support as they can use the current Wii as a lower budget alternative to the company destroying budgets that the HD systems so often require. If they wanted to create a more powerful system it would have to be powerful enough to draw away 360/PS3 customers as "now with motion control!" isn't much of a tagline now that MS and Sony are both working on their respective motion controllers. In the end they would be segmenting their user base, irritating developers and destroying the profit margins. That's not very convenient.
DC:
Outputting at a higher resolution is easy. You just need a more powerful GPU. MS and Sony could release a respective PS3/360 that guarantees 1080p and more AA as opposed the the 720p or less nearly all games go with now. It just wouldn't make much sense financially to do so.
Good points.
Do you think that Nintendo will stick with the Wii as long as Microsoft and Sony stick with theirs with the reasoning that if no one else is developing a new console then why should they?
Could it be possible that instead of a new console that they might eventually release some kind of add-on at some point to "refresh" interest in the console like the Sega CD tried to do?
MikeRyu on
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Idx86Long days and pleasant nights.Registered Userregular
edited November 2009
I'd be happy to get Netflix on the Wii.
However, if I want to stream something on my TV I will just hook my laptop up to it and stream it that way.
There's pretty much 800 different ways to watch Netflix streaming now.
Idx86 on
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Actually every time somebody says "Wii HD" I automatically assume it to mean the Wii's successor, not just literally a Wii with HD output. Obviously that is not gonna happen. I take these rumors to mean that perhaps a real successor console might be in the works.
I take those rumors to mean tech nerds with no common sense still have the ability to log into message boards.
Sounds like you're with me. There won't be a Wii HD, but there will probably be an HD Wii successor. The only question is, when is it happening.
I... think you missed the semantics. Every single rumor that involves the words "Wii HD" specifically refers to a current-gen Wii with HD capabilities, not a next-gen console. We actually haven't heard much of anything that actually refers to a next-gen console.
I see no reason to assume that.
In fact you must have misread. You say it specifically refers to a current-gen Wii, but the OP says "next generation Wii HD unit." Next generation = higher powered console = successor.
But the fact remains that pretty much every other Wii HD rumor specifically involves a current-gen unit. Just because one random guy on the internet didn't spell it out doesn't mean that we shouldn't assume that's what he meant, mainly because 99.7% of other Wii HD mentions spell out a current-gen unit.
Notice how the terms are used in the same breath.
I searched for Wii successor and Wii HD and got the same results for each. Even the most ridiculous rumors refer to an actual successor and not just an HD version of what we have now:
I don't know why you're fixated on the non-existence of a hi def Wii. It seems the rest of the internet knows that's not happening either, which is why all the talk is about a successor.
Wii HD ain't happening though, assuming HD means 'High Def'. If they're adding something else, like a hard drive, or something, that's a maybe, and even then I give it a 50/50 chance at MOST.
Seriously, all the people griping about endless revisions - they're not ever actual system spec upgrades. They're all either size reduction, screen increases, or other kind of tangential differences.
The only real story here is Netflix, which is based on a rumor -- dude's not even posting screens. I get the feeling it's more a "PS3 Netflix was announced, might as well make a guess for the Wii so, if it does happen, I can be first!"
i wouldn't count on that. when nintendo recently released sales numbers of all their stuff one thing struck me right away:
they have sold more DS units, then actual DS games (!!)
if you think about it, it can only mean that various hardware iterations = loads of cash. and considering that a simple Wii hardware update is entirely possible imo.
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How can you possibly believe that?
In FY3/09 alone, they sold 31.18 million Nintendo DS consoles, and a total of 197.31 million copies of Nintendo DS units of software have been sold. Worldwide. That's about 6.32 Nintendo DS games per unit sold in the same time frame.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2009/annual0903e.pdf
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hum, dont remember where i saw, it but i admit that was a stupid thing to think ;P
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The last FY3/09 results show that about 6.3 nintendo DS games are sold per Nintendo DS unit during that time frame. Which is pretty darn good for a handheld.
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Wii HD in 2010 though ? Seriously? Maybe Christmas 2010. Because there's no way it's happening before that if it ever does.
You should say it while going down a slide and waving your arms in the air.
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I meant to quote this. What backlash? I mean certainly the average gamer has bitched about the Wii non stop since inception so that can't be it
I'd say that's likely.
If that happens they need to get a QC department because that shovelware that's eating up space for good games is getting annoying.
Unless the "wii 2" is fully backwards compatible yet offers a compelling upgrade, it probably wouldn't sell as well. Nintendo's systems have always been game focused -- unless they have a "killer app" like Wii Sports for the Wii 2, people are still going to buy the original Wii because it'll be cheaper and have the game they want.
I love HD for the simple reason that the cables are easier. One HDMI cable from the PS3 to the receiver, and 1 from the receiver to the TV, is sex. It's enough to make me NOT want to plug anything else in so I don't have to deal with the hassle of component cables, digital audio cables, and other shit.
No it wouldn't. Nintendo makes a large profit on each Wii sold. MS and Sony do not make much money (if any) on each of their respective systems sold (It's why MS loves accessories and subscriptions). Nintendo is currently outselling the competition by a large enough margin that you must combine 360 and PS3 sales to match it. It would be idiotic to spend R&D to create a product that will destroy your profit margins and who's main appeal would be to those who already have chosen a comparable system in power while having none of the games. It would also go against much of their developer support as they can use the current Wii as a lower budget alternative to the company destroying budgets that the HD systems so often require. If they wanted to create a more powerful system it would have to be powerful enough to draw away 360/PS3 customers as "now with motion control!" isn't much of a tagline now that MS and Sony are both working on their respective motion controllers. In the end they would be segmenting their user base, irritating developers and destroying the profit margins. That's not very convenient.
DC:
Outputting at a higher resolution is easy. You just need a more powerful GPU. MS and Sony could release a respective PS3/360 that guarantees 1080p and more AA as opposed the the 720p or less nearly all games go with now. It just wouldn't make much sense financially to do so.
Even so, Nintendo still makes some good money on each one. And they're the market leader. They have no great reason to launch a Wii HD any time soon, let alone 2010. Why would they? So they can chase the ever so lucrative HD market, by spending a lot on R&D, spending on new manufacturing, new marketing, so they can release a system with less profit margins, split their user base, increase the prices, and for what? To go for a slice of a market that is not only already heavily competitive with the 360 and PS3, but also one that they can't really expand upon much more?
I dunno. Nintendo didn't acquire ~49% of the market share by trying to follow the trends of its competitors.
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However, the way Nintendo engineered the console, you have a 3MB framebuffer to work with. Not enough space to do 720p -and- double buffer it.
For comparison, the 360 has 10MB to work with on it's chip. This is why Halo 3 has to be 640p to do HDR, because you need the high end buffer and the low end buffer then you combine them into a final one. So you have 3 HD 'screens' to work with, that's not going to fit into 10MB. 640p isn't due to Halo 3's engine, it's due to the higher ups at MS going "HD FOR EVERYTHING" and then shorting the console.
I think I'm going to call shenanigans on just about all of that, given that Nintendo effectively hates anything approaching console versatility and that the street date is nine months from now.
Not saying Nintendo couldn't do it, or even shouldn't (they probably should, actually), but I think if a shift that big were coming to the market we would have heard something before now.
It's not the same Nintendo since Yamauchi stepped down, which is not a bad thing IMO, but that is a lesson that the new guard has kept to with the wii.
Once parts and production are cheap enough for Nintendo to make a ZOMG awesome graphics system, and make a tidy profit from launch, they'll have an extra incentive, but as has been reiterated several times, Wii sales decline due to demand being met at a greater ratio is not enough by itself yet.
Beat me on 360: Raybies666
I remember when I had time to be good at games.
Which honestly isn't a bad strategy to maintain for Nintendo, since price is probably one of the primary (if not the THE primary) reason the Wii sold so well. With the anemic title selection and seeming unwillingness to develop games to keep pace with quality and demand we've seen so far with the Wii, I don't know if offering a substantially more expensive model is ever going to be a viable financial option for them.
I got a SNES for christmas from my parents the year it launched in Ireland, I was about 12. I got every console they released after out of my own cash.
The great thing about their console pricing philosophy it that when the N64 launched, I was old enough to have a summer job and put together cash for one. I liked the Playstation and Saturn, but I loved Nintendo and could afford it. The Gamecube was bought with my first post college paycheck. I had no cash for the crhistmas launch of the Wii, a mate gave me the money and I could pay it pack at the end of the month.
It's something that I feel is not brought up at all, the fact that whatever parents have to do with it, Nintendo consoles are the easiest to buy with pocket money saving or scrimping with summer jobs and the like. It really contributes to why Nintendo gets so much love, their consoles are always of a high quality regardless of the specs (see gameboy vs game gear and lynx), you pick up the current Mario platformer. Joy ensues, bolstered by the fact that you bought it yourself.
What you say about the lineup is true, but the N64 and GC had similar issues and I ended up with 16-20 games for each by the end of the systems life. I've been playing videogames for 26 years now, and this seems to me like a lot of games, especially considering how few clunkers I ended up getting.
I suppose I never could see why this was brought up with these consoles, as I was stuck living in the countryside for 15 years with no friends and no women, and I had more than enough entertainment to see me through those dark ages. At this stage, I'm not even responding to you, I've lost in memories of gaming bliss.
Beat me on 360: Raybies666
I remember when I had time to be good at games.
And I'd also expect this generation to last longer... since it's taking more and more horsepower to make smaller and smaller improvements in the visuals, it really doesn't make sense to make people buy a new system without improvements that 95% of the buying public will notice.
I would also like it if my wii could play dvds. I hate having to switch out cables when I want to watch a movie.
I agree with your second statement. This generation is going to last a long, long time, I would expect this to probably be the second to last major console generation, with multiple skus and incremental upgrades along the way that are fully backwards compatible but might be exclusive, in the way that the DSi has games specifically made for it.
As time goes on Xbox + Natal and PS3 with the motion wandy deal will have exclusive games, but I don't think it's a stretch that in a few years, you might need a 360+ or something to play something realllly high end. It'll still be a 360, but come in at the elite price point and a step up in hardware, but nothing so drastic that it'll be called a new generation.
I think the final console generation will come about when all those 3d tvs start coming out. They'll release a new console to support that technology, and follow a similar incremental upgrade technique.
There is a homebrew application that allows DVD watching with the Wii. Pretty retarded that it takes a homebrew app to do something like that.
Good points.
Do you think that Nintendo will stick with the Wii as long as Microsoft and Sony stick with theirs with the reasoning that if no one else is developing a new console then why should they?
Could it be possible that instead of a new console that they might eventually release some kind of add-on at some point to "refresh" interest in the console like the Sega CD tried to do?
However, if I want to stream something on my TV I will just hook my laptop up to it and stream it that way.
There's pretty much 800 different ways to watch Netflix streaming now.
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